MHR: Is Ropley Station still worth a family visit?

I have consistently disagreed with you on this subject, domeyhead and, having now seen 73129s photos, I will say that I believe you are totally and utterly wrong. Indeed, I would venture that with this public griping, you are likely to do more harm to the MHR than any development.

This thread was started by a gentleman who wanted to visit the MHR, but who was potentially put off by your moaning. If he had just heeded it (as many people would have done) and not - to his huge credit - had the nous to ask the question on here, the MHR would have lost the revenue from him and his family.

Looking at the photos of the development, most of the windows are hidden from the platforms by the greenery inbetween and the developer has painted them in a sympathetic colour scheme to the station. That may or may not have been a stipulation of the planning consent, but it certainly helps them to blend in.

Don't get me wrong, I would always prefer countryside over development, but your argument seems to be based on the fact that said development 'won't benefit the MHR' - an argument which is profoundly flawed. Attractions like the MHR depend on people being around to spend money. Butterflies, birds and mice don't pay to travel on the train!

As I have said before, I am sure that many people who stay in those holiday cottages will travel on the MHR and I also bet that, as has been said above, enthusiasts will see them and go 'Cool, I can be closer to the station for the next gala' or whatever. Yes, to a degree the MHR will benefit the proprietors of the holiday cottages, but it will be reciprocal. Railway enthusiasts will want to stay at the cottages, normals in the cottages will want to travel on the railway.

I am sure that many of us here would love to travel back in time to that vision of a golden past, when branch line stations were rural oases of tranquility, interrupted twice an hour by the arrival of the branch train, after which the signalman went back to his snoozing and the porter went back to keeping the station garden looking trim. But that glorious peace and 'quietly looking at Arthur Blake's legacy' is the very reason why so many closed in the first place. Railways need people to survive and these holiday cottages will attract people to the MHR. If you crave solitude, peace and quiet, do what I do and go walking in the mountains, not chasing steam trains.

With your complaints, it seems that nearly succeeded in 'not benefitting the MHR' yourself by putting at least one family off visiting. Is that really what you wanted to achieve?

 

So back to the point of the post...
3 objectives of the poster:

1. Good for kids
2. Good for the misses
3. Good for dad (ie it looks ok isn't too noisy)

Observations

1. It was good for my little one (who is not interested in new houses), but is interested to see the "big steam choo choo".. And has an excellant view
2. No objections for my misses, who got a drink,had a picnic and a day out in the country, she is always interested in new houses or renovations and sordid peek a nosey.
3. No noise from the building site and no mess, so it didnt spoil my pictures or videos.


Conclusions

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes

 

One very positive feature I am looking forward to is the new car park at Ropley. In the low season, when there is only one train running, I presume I will be able to park for free at Ropley, visit the yard, board the train in whichever direction it is going and do a round trip and then spend any time I have left back in the yard before going home.

I remember when my children were seven and ten years old I got it all wrong when we parked at Alresford, rode to Alton and back to Ropley. After visiting the yard I then realised the only train in service had to go to Alton and back so we ended up walking back to Alresford along the road. Not recommended with moaning kids... I have many times ended up just driving to the stations, taking photos and then going home because I did not have enough time to get any value from buying a ticket. Parking at the top of Station Road Ropley is an alternative but is often full of cars. I have even parked at Alresford and bought just a return ticket to Ropley, which is not a lot cheaper than an all day ticket but at least the Railway has made some money from me.

I do miss the DMUs with their forward vision. It is the best way to appreciate the line and its signalling infrastructure unless you hang out of coach windows. When they shared the duty with a steam train it was always nice to do two round trips and sample both types and see the line.

 

Just to report back as the original poster on this thread. Many thanks to those who replied, and particularly those who advised to go ahead and visit Ropley. I, and my family, are very glad we took your advice. Having now been there I can't see what all the fuss is about. Perhaps it was even nicer before, I don't know. But it's still a lovely station and, in any case, you can barely see the new development since its obscured by the trees. For my money, it's by far the best place to start a trip on the MHR although I can see why the railway don't advertise this given the limited parking at Ropley on non-event days. Also found MHR one of the most friendly steam railways we've visited. Particularly appreciated the apologies for not running a steam service (even though we knew this before we set out). Catering is a problem though. We brought a picnic, so weren't affected. But nothing to eat at Ropley or Alton. And the cafe at Alresford had stopped serving food by mid-afternoon.

 

You stand at the end of your garden and watch, is the simple answer, duh. Go to any gala event at the MHR and you will see plenty of freeloaders stood adjacent to the line sometimes all day long - usually with expensive camera equipment, (though but I guess when you aren't paying anything towards your subjects you can afford to shell out on yourself) - so the idea of just watching rather than riding is obviously quite satisfactory on its own
So with visitor numbers now over 120,000 pa what is the percentage benefit even if all holidaymakers rode on the line? My contention is that only a percentage will actually travel or spend money when they can watch in comfort and for free. So what do you reckon - maybe 100 more rides per season? Now offset that against the loss of rustic amenity. So shall we use Ropley as the precedent for all our rural stations? Where next - Corfe Castle? Stogumber? No thought not.
There is no guarantee of a single penny in revenue to the railway, and I would not be disapointed if the Wednesday gang planted a nice row of native trees to eventually hide these chalets.

 

Pleased to hear that you had an enjoyable day!

When you start to respond to my points in a mature and reasoned manner, without sounding like an eight year old, I may start to take your opinions seriously.

 

IMHO, I think that dgittings has a very good point about the lack of catering facilities at Ropley for I think that because of all the developments at Ropley, it is becoming increasingly clear the this station will be the starting point for visitors other than Alresford.

Add to this the increasing amount of paid staff, apprentices and volunteers , and nowhere at Roppers to even get a sandwich unless they drive south on the A31 to the garage, then I feel that the MHR is missing out on income here.

This is not a critiscism of the MHR or anyone else , just an observation on my part.

Best regards
Chris:

 

There's a really nice busy café/shop in Alresford, selling nice coffee and good, fresh and locally-produced food, with friendly/buzzy staff. The comparison with both Alresford station and the provision at Ropley is, being kind, stark. Is there no scope to buddy up with local businesses (like shops/cafés, the farms or the watercress producers or whoever) to offer better facilities at the stations? Almost like a franchise, I guess… I'd imagine that there are opportunities to keep people at or around both stations for food and drinks which are currently being lost because the current facilities aren't much cop…

Simon

 

I tend to agree with you Chris. Possibly difficult to do anything about very quickly, but I agree, and the partnering idea might be interesting to explore. Personally I always wanted to turn the station house into a pub along the lines of that at Kidderminster or Bridgnorth. No idea if it could be viable, but I would have thought with the right beers etc it would stand a chance at least. Of course it has all sorts of other problems to over come, so will probably be a pipe dream, but....

 

There is also a very nice Cafe called Rumours at Medstead , couple that with a local Tesco, a Bakery, a Chippy and even a Chinese takeaway amongst others and Medstead has what it takes.

What is there at Ropley?, absolutely nothing which makes me think that the MHR could make a killing on the catering side, not only for the Railway but for the immediate area too.

A franchise is an excellant idea IMHO

Regards
Chris:

 

Just been at Ropley today, my little one wanted a Thomas Day Out....

fantastic facilities.. oh and I forgot how little you can see those houses... like not at all.
Never made it to Alresford.. my girl wanted to ride behind Thomas and 2 footplate rides on the 08 for the rest of the afternoon.. I got 31806, 925, 50027 and 37901 as well as the Hampshire Unit.. so I'm happy too.
What was Thomas in its previous life.. looks like a disguised J94 ???

 

Our replies passed as I was posting a reply to Goldfish Simon.

A Pub cum Cafe is an excellant idea. A sign at the bottom of the Station approach saying Pub/Cafe at the Railway and is also open to the public would bring in further visitors who normally would not come up to the Station plus the locals might use it as the Chequers has not shut down.

This IMHO ticks many boxes, so what about putting this on the agenda at the next Directors meeting?

Kind regards
Chris:

 

A Pub with food service / beer garden over looking the track at Ropley is the only thing missing IMHO.
Though for passing trade it needs to be at the Crossing end of the station.. where is there space for that ?

 

Yes it was a J94 I think it was purchased from the KESR.

 

Does this mean that...

... is a huge exaggeration? Well,blow me down!

I think that was the one converted to a freelance 0-6-0 tender engine, more like Donald & Douglas than Thomas.

 

IIRC, both Thomas and Douglas started out as Austerity-type 0-6-0 saddle tanks, one of which may have been called Linda before being rebuilt - but I forget the details. And besides, we're wandering off-topic (no surprise!)

 

Just to complete going off topic, the J94 converted to a tender engine,(Douglas), was also at one time going to be also converted into a LSWR "700"class black motor. However it was sold to the East Lancs Railway before completion.

Chris.

 

A bit of info about Douglas I found on a web site. From memory the loco left the MHR towards the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013.


One of the ubiquitous austerity locomotives built by several manufacturers during World War II, this engine was built by Hunslet of Leeds, as works No 2890 in 1943 and went to the War Department for military use as No 75041.

She later became Longmoor Military Railway No 107 and gained the name Foggia. In the early 1960s, she was withdrawn from army service and was one of a few locomotives to be sent back to Hunslet for some modifications. These centred on a technology designed to reduce smoke emissions and were developed by L. G. Porta, an engineer from Argentina. Research suggests that something was 'lost in translation' between Leeds and Argentina as the modifications were not quite as Porta would have wished. However, they did serve an important purpose in the development of steam. After modification and renumbering as No 3882 of 1962, she was bought by the National Coal Board and allocated to Maesteg washery until withdrawal in 1973. Here, she gained the name Maureen.

In 1976, Maureen was purchased privately for preservation and taken to Bristol, before arriving in Devon in 1978. Restoration was completed in 1984 when the locomotive was renamed Barbara in memory of the wife of Dave Phelps, one of the then owners. She gave many years faithful service on the line before withdrawal for overhaul. However, she was subsequently sold and has since undergone a remarkable transformation, losing her saddle tanks, gaining a tender and changing name again, becoming No 10 Douglas, one of the friends of a famous blue engine.

The loco is now about to undergo overhaul again.

http://www.ribblesteam.org.uk/exhibits/steam

 

J94s are adaptable little things.
Maybe they should be nicknamed "Meccano's" or something.. a black Motor, Thomas, and havent others been used as parts for a Jinty, Planet replica, Rocket Replica etc...

 

Being somewhat disabled I am reluctant to explore roads and paths I don't know but I mentioned earlier that there is supposed to be a new 50-place car park associated with the Ropley developments. I presume this will be accessed from Bighton Hill which used to be quite a muddy road. Is the car park ready and available for visitors to use?

I read a Blog from one of the MHR staff who said that he parked his park up there and was able to cross the Harry Potter bridge into the yard. Would he have used the new park or the MHR back entrance onto Bighton Hill which used to be gated last time I went up there?